You Know What They Say About Assumptions
by DrawnToTheRhythm
Summary: Post-Threads, Mark comes to town... But is he as good at reading people as he likes to think? S/J


Sam stood in the terminal building flanked by Daniel and Sergeant Harriman. Her eyes flicked up to the arrivals display screen just as the 19.07 AA189 flight from San Diego began to flash green. Both Sam and Walter stood at parade rest, he out of protocol in his uniform, she out of habit. The doors slid apart to reveal the first few hand luggage only passengers, most with briefcases or carry-on bags in suits. The next wave of passengers consisted mainly of couples and backpackers in a flurry of purple flowery suitcases, bergens clipped with sleeping bags and roll mats and jeans and T-shirt combos. Finally the first few families began to filter through, babies and teenagers in tow. Through the crowd of people Sam could see a short, blonde crop of hair rise above the masses. Mark.

"Aunt Sam!", came voice before she was hit by a small, blonde girl who wrapped her arms around Sam's leg. Sam bent down to give her a hug, noticing that the little girl's face was red and puffy.

"Jenny," she said softly, hugging the little girl, "it's good to see you again."

"Daddy said Grandpa's gone to live in the sky now," she replied sniffling, "I hope you don't go there in your plane with him too."

Sam gave the girl a sad smile and hugged her more tightly.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie."

Letting go of the little girl as her sibling and the rest of his family approached, Sam stood to greet them.

"Sam," said Mark softly by way of greeting, before wrapping his arms around her. He looked as worn out as she felt. Sam hugged him back warmly before stepping back and doing the same for Mark's wife and teenage son.

"Hey guys," she said nodding, "These two gentlemen are Sgt Harriman and Daniel, they'll be giving you a ride to my place."

Sgt Harriman nodded sharply.

"Sir, Ma'am, allow me to extend my condolences to you, General Carter was a good man. He will be sorely missed."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at Walter's announcement and stepped forward to shake Mark's hand.

"Daniel Jackson," he said quietly, "I'm Sam's teammate. It's a pleasure to meet you, it's just a shame about the circumstances."

Mark nodded his thanks.

"So, shall we get this show on the road?" He asked Sam as Walter took the luggage trolley from the family and headed for the cars.

"Sure, the cars are this way," Sam said, pointing to the waiting area outside the airport terminal building.

...

"So, Mark, what do you do?" Daniel asked, looking in the rear-view mirror at his passenger. Mark and Katherine sat in the back whilst Sam and the kids were driven by Walter in the second car.

"I'm a teacher, secondary school history."

Daniel smiled at this.

"Really? I'm an anthropologist myself"

Mark frowned.

"An anthropologist? What does the military need an academic for?"

Daniel smirked.

"You'd be surprised how frequently the military might needs a linguist to smooth things over."

Mark smiled back.

"Ain't that true?" He cocked his head to one side. "So how does a civilian end up working on my sister's scientific military team, Dr Jackson?"

"Please, call me Daniel," he replied automatically, "and, well, sometimes the work we do requires a languages expert for communication."

"Calming down the locals and reading the directions, eh?"

Daniel chuckled.

"Yeah, something like that."

Mark sat up straighter.

"So, I take it you're away a lot for work then? Overseas?"

Daniel shifted in his seat.

"I'm sorry, it's classified."

Mark waved a hand dismissively.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. So you work with my father too?"

Daniel nodded solemnly.

"I've been... away... for a while so I hadn't seen him for a long time before... but, yes, I did, he was a good man. I'll miss him."

Mark looked surprised. Something about Daniel's tone suggested that he hadn't just been on vacation.

"Well, we'd only recently started speaking again. He was never around much even when I was a kid. I take it you know about our mother?"

"I do, Sam told me years ago. It must have been hard."

Mark clasped his hands together and nodded.

"Your parents still around?"

Daniel paused for a moment.

"Ah, no. They died when I was a kid. I was raised by my uncle."

Mark's tone softened.

"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's ok!" Daniel cut him off hurriedly, "I don't exactly hide it. I just... Know what you're going through, is all."

Mark regarded Daniel for a second. Something about the man seemed so open, so friendly. He wasn't certain whether it was because he was Sam's brother or whether this was just the Dr's way. Either way, Mark was beginning to warm to his sister's team mate.

...

There were many people in and out of uniform milling about Sam's house for the wake. It was certainly an eclectic bunch. The only other person Mark recognised was George Hammond, who immediately crossed the room to pass on his condolences.

"Mark," he greeted warmly, "it's good to see you again, son. How's the family?"

Mark shook his hand equally as enthusiastically, it was a relief to see a familiar face.

"George! They're good thanks, obviously circumstances not withstanding," Hammond nodded in response, "how are you? I hear you're working at the Pentagon now?"

"Oh, getting a bit long in the tooth for this job these days," he replied honestly, "I'm thinking of leaving it to the younger ones" he continued, placing a hand on a uniformed shoulder that was just passing by. "Mark, I'd like you to meet Jack O'Neill,"

Jack paused mid-stride, empty glass in hand and turned to his Commander. His eyes went wide for a moment before he stuck out his empty hand in greeting.

"You must be Sam's brother," he said with a familiar edge to his tone, "pleased to meet you, although the circumstances could be better," he said with a hint of sadness that surprised Mark. It seemed these people were genuinely grieving for his father too. Strange.

"You were up there with Sam and Daniel at the funeral, right?" Mark half-queried, half-remembered, "Jack...Jack... I'm sure I've heard Dad talk about you before. Oh," he exclaimed, "You're Sam CO, right?"

Jack nodded heavily.

"Dad always liked you," Mark added with a melancholy sigh, "Said you looked out for my sister a lot. I guess I should thank you."

Jack ducked his head and George regarded him with a small nod.

"Just doing my job," he said, shuffling his feet slightly, "Sam, Daniel and Murray did most of the hard work, I'm just the brawn."

Mark frowned.

"You work inside a mountain, how dangerous can it be?"

George and Jack shared a smile.

"You'd be surprised how deadly those mess hall meals can be," Jack quipped. He held up the empty wine glass. "Look, Mark, Sir, I was just about to get a top-up, can I get you both anything?"

George looked down at the lipstick-marked rim of the glass and back up to Jack.

"I didn't realise you drank wine, Jack?" He questioned casually.

"Ah, no Sir, the black stuff only for me, this is Carter's."

George smirked and Mark nodded.

"'Carter's'? Oh, right, you mean Sam's!" He said suddenly realising and mumbling something about military addresses under his breath. "Ah, no thanks, I'm good."

"General?"

Hammond wiped the smirk off his face momentarily and shook his head.

"No thanks, son. As you were!"

Jack nodded again awkwardly to them both before disappearing into the kitchen.

"Interesting guy," Mark commented after he was out of earshot.

"I think you'd like him once you got to know him," George said, "he's one of the the real good ones..."

Mark regarded Hammond for a moment wondering why George seemed so intent on him liking his former 2IC but George abruptly excused himself and disappeared into the crowd. Stranger and stranger.

...

Mark began clearing away the last of the paper plates into the kitchen. He entered to find Sam in an embrace with Daniel. She was hugging him tightly, her palms flat against his back and he hugged her almost as enthusiastically.

"Hey," he said by way of greeting and Sam looked up and smiled, stepping back from Daniel but squeezing his biceps in thanks. Daniel smiled back, gripped her shoulder and nodded before nodding to Mark and walking out of the kitchen.

"Hey," she replied quietly. "How are Katherine and the kids?"

"Absolutely out for the count," he said gesturing upstairs, "I sent Kat to bed with the kids."

Sam nodded and resumed her duties.

"Sam..." He began, not quite knowing how to approach the topic that had been bugging him all day. He glanced out to the few people still remaining in the living room

Sam stopped loading the dishwasher with cutlery and reached for a cloth to wipe her hands.

"Yeah, Mark?"

He put down the plates.

"What happened with Pete?" He asked quietly. Sam's face fell in surprise.

"How did you-"

"He's not here," Mark stated bluntly. "I know Pete, there's only one reason he *wouldn't* be here..."

Sam sighed and wrung her hands together.

"Mark, I'm sorry..." She began, pausing to gather her thoughts for a moment. "He... He was a real nice guy-"

"Ouch!" Mark interjected then off Sam's hurt look "Real nice guy?" He rolled his eyes, "come on, that's like the worst brush-off a guy can get." Sam stared at her feet. "Tell me, I wanna know. You were all set to marry the guy in a few weeks and suddenly *poof*! Gone. Something went wrong." There was no judgement in his tone, only concern.

Sam nodded, still staring at the floor.

"It's 100% my fault, Mark, Pete didn't do anything." He raised an eyebrow. Huh, Sam rarely admitted to wrong-doing, whatever happened must have been serious. "Let's just say that there was something I thought I'd lost but it turns out I was mistaken."

Mark almost laughed.

"Sam, I think that's the most cryptic thing I've ever heard you say! Come on, spill!"

Sam eyed the room just beyond his shoulder and stiffened.

"I'm sorry Mark, I can't discuss this."

Mark glanced over his shoulder to Teal'c, Daniel and General O'Neill cleaning the room and folding down tables.

"Ah, I get it!" He said, smiling. Sam looked like she'd been hit by a train. "Your secret's safe with me!"

"But how..."

Mark folded his arms across his chest.

"I'm not blind, Sam. Look, I just want you to be happy, that's all. Pete's my friend but you're my sister." Mark chuckled, "just don't wait too long, eh? I saw a few women eyeing him up today, don't miss your chance now that he's back."

Sam frowned and opened her mouth to ask what he meant but before she could say anything he'd picked up a trash bag and was gone.

...

Mark stepped outside to take out the trash to find Daniel leaning against the veranda staring into space. Mark deposited the trash bag into the garbage can and walked across to Daniel.

"It's a bit cold out here for stargazing, isn't it?" Mark asked him, bringing him out of his trance-like state. Daniel jumped slightly but didn't move from his post.

"They're an amazing sight," replied, pointing up at the stars, "I wonder if there's some truth to the idea that we end up there somehow."

Mark nodded and joined Daniel leaning against the veranda. He regarded him for a moment before speaking.

"I guess now that Dad's gone it's up to me to look out for Sam," he said firmly.

"She's very important to us all," Daniel replied casually.

Mark turned to face him, arms crossed.

"So, when do I start calling you "brother-in-law" then?"

Daniel's brow furrowed deeply and his eyes widened.

"*Excuse* me?"

Mark smiled.

"Come on, I'm not stupid. Sam left Pete for another guy. You."

Daniel shook his head furiously.

"Ah, Mark, I think you've got the wrong idea here. Sam doesn't like me in that way."

"Uh huh," Mark added disbelievingly.

"No, *really*," Daniel insisted calmly, "with the greatest respect to you, Sam is like the sister I never had." He shuddered slightly. "It's just not that way with us. Never has been."

Mark shrugged.

"Well, it seems to me that she might see it differently."

Daniel turned to face Mark.

"In the nicest possible way, what on Earth makes you draw that conclusion?"

"She told me before that her reason for breaking up with Pete was to do with suddenly realising she hadn't lost something she thought she had lost forever. Didn't you say earlier you'd been MIA for a while?"

Daniel cocked his head. Clearly the Carters had more intelligence than the average gene pool.

"That's not *exactly* what I said but yeah, so?"

"Well, maybe you're the thing she thought she'd lost." He surmised, grinning a little at his own deductive reasoning skills.

Daniel chuckled.

"Look, Mark, me and your sister are just friends. That's all we'll ever be." He nodded towards the house. "If you wanna know the truth, you might want to test those canny observational skills elsewhere. See what you come up with." Daniel gave Mark a friendly pat on the arm and headed inside the house, pausing before he opened the door. "Oh, and Mark? Jacob told her to give it a shot!" he said cryptically, leaving a confused Mark on the front porch.

...

"So I hear on the grapevine that Hammond's retiring soon," Sam stated, causing Jack to pause mid-swoop. He made a fist, crushing the beer can in his hand.

"He might," Jack added cautiously, the abrupt change of topic throwing him.

"Aren't you in line to replace him?" Sam queried curiously. Jack straightened.

"I, ah, said I'd think about it." He added solemnly. "There's a pond out there with my name on it and I thought it was maybe time." He grinned awkwardly. "These knees won't hold up forever, ya know!"

Sam walked around the counter and leaned against it.

"I'm not sure we can afford to lose you yet, Sir." She stated. He stared at her, brow knitted in confusion. "I've been thinking, there are a few... options... I'd like to discuss with you if you don't mind?"

Jack threw the can in the bin and folded his arms. He didn't know at this point what Sam was talking about and it unnerved him.

"Ok, shoot."

Sam hopped onto a stool she had pulled out from under her kitchen counter and sat perched leaning her weight on her outstretched arms resting on the front of the stool seat, hands between her knees.

"I've requested a transfer to Area 51," she announced, "I have some personal stuff I need to sort out."

Jacks heart left into his mouth - she was leaving the SGC?

"Why?" He demanded a little harshly, due to her sudden announcement.

Sam stared at her hands.

"Well, Cassie needs me for one and she starts at UNLV this fall," she started, shrugging, "and... there was another thing, too" she said, looking at him expectantly.

He stared for a moment then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Carter I don't understan-"

Sam huffed frustratedly and hopped off the stool so that she was standing toe-to-toe with him.

"You have to be the most frustrating man I've ever met!" She whispered loudly. "I just broke up with my fiancé because of my feelings for *someone else*" she emphasised the last point. Jack gave no response. "Oh, for cryin' out loud, Jack, I-"

Sam was cut off by Mark loudly stumbling breathlessly through the kitchen door.

"Sis, I think I might have just put my foot in it with your frien-" he stopped dead, eyeing Sam and Jack suspiciously.

Sam's eyes widened and Jack took an involuntary step backwards as she turned to face Mark.

"What?!" She growled. "Could you give me a minute please, Mark?"

Jack started to retreat.

"I'll just-"

"SIT!" Sam barked, her eyes fixing him to the spot. She waved a hand at Mark still staring down Jack. "Mark, could you go and show Teal'c where my china goes, please?"

Mark didn't have a clue where her china went but he knew when not to argue with his little sister. Jack looked somewhere between transfixed and terrified!

"Ah, sure, no problem, sis!" He said, turning on his heel and marching back into the living room.

Sam relaxed a little.

"Good, now where was I?" She asked Jack. He stiffened. "Ah, yes, as I was saying. I spend *months* trying to work up the nerve to talk to you, only to have half the universe interrupt me. First Kerry, then Anubis, now Mark..."

...

Daniel took one look at Mark's scurry from the kitchen and adjusted his glasses.

"Something wrong?" He asked a concerned looking Mark.

"Sam's in there with Jack. She kicked me out of the kitchen and ordered him to sit down." Daniel bounced on his heels and grinned. "Can Lt Colonels order Generals around like that?"

Daniel gave him an 'I told you so' glare. Mark's eyebrows furrowed then hit the roof.

"*Those* two? Seriously? Holy Hannah!" Daniel chuckled and Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "God, Sam sure knows how to pick 'em! She could have any guy she wants but, no, she goes for the one guy she's not allowed to have!" Daniel looked shocked. "What? I was an Air Force brat, I learned a thing or two about the regs, you know."

Daniel sighed.

"They've been like this forever. Always holding back for 'the greater good'" Mark had the sense not to point out that whatever the hell it was they were doing in that mountain, it sure as heck wasn't deep space radar telemetry.

"And my Dad was ok with this?" Mark exclaimed, sinking into an armchair. "No wonder George was trying to sell me his virtues this afternoon." Daniel smirked even more at that and glanced at Teal'c. "God, this guy must be Neil Armstrong or something!"

...

"Carter, wait!" Jack stopped her mid-rant. "You forgot one person off that list. Oh, Danny-boy!" Jack hollered, not taking his eyes off Sam.

"YEAH?" He responded from the other room.

"You busy just now?"

"Uh, just speaking to Mark, why?"

"Oh, no reason!" Jack yelled back, "Just, do me a favour and keep everyone out of the kitchen for the next 5...10 minutes, will ya? I smashed a couple of bottles and I don't want anyone getting hurt."

He heard a muffled laugh followed by an 'ouch!'

"Uh, sure, Jack, no problem. Do you and Sam need a hand?"

More muffled snorts.

"No! I mean, no thanks, we've got it covered."

He nodded to Sam and sat back down.

"Good, now that's all the bases covered. Now where were we?"

Sam began to visibly tremble.

"I, uh, was saying... Options! There were some options I wanted to discuss with you."

"Oh?"

"I'm starting to sound a little crazy here, and I'm not even sure that thing even still exists, not for sure-"

Jack cut her off by standing up and stepping into her personal space. His eyes were dark, his face inches from hers. Her heart beat quickened, the hairs on her arms stood on end and her breathing shallowed. Sam swallowed loudly. Jack bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Tell me that's not the naquadah in your blood." Sam shook her head. "No, Sir, you don't have any naquadah, just the ATA gene. And I can't sense that."

He stepped back.

"Right. So I think that answers your question," he stated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Say, Carter, do you fancy dinner next week? I officially take over from George as soon as my two-week vacation starts."

"But I thought we were going fishing?" Sam queried with a smirk.

"Just means you have to bring something extra nice to wear," he replied grinning. "Hey, how about that sweet little tank top number-"

Sam threw the dish towel at him.

...

Mark peered around the corner to see the dish towel fly across the room.

"Are they always like this?"

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"No, they usually just sit and steal glances at each other across the campfire when they think we're not paying attention."

Mark chuckled.

"Well I'm glad I'm headed back to San Diego the day after tomorrow. What's that about a fishing trip?"

Daniel groaned.

"I believe the saying goes 'Do Not Ask', Mark Carter" Teal'c chimed in.

...

A/N: Loved it? hated it? Please review :)


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